Many consumer products, including wearable garments, use adjustable fastening systems for altering the size and/or fit of an item. Fastening systems used in undergarments, such as brassieres, include slideable adjusters for altering the length of their shoulder straps, as well as “hook and loop” or “hook and eye” type complementary fasteners implemented on the detachable back bands of the undergarments for adjusting their overall girth. FIG. 1 is an illustration of an exemplary undergarment or brassiere 10 having the above-described characteristics. As shown, undergarment 10 generally comprises two adjustable shoulder strap assemblies 11. Each strap assembly 11 comprises an adjustable strap 12 connected to a respective cup assembly 13 and a respective first and second back or rear band 20,22, and is configured to traverse the shoulder of the wearer. First back band 20 and second back band 22 are each attached at one end to a respective cup assembly 13, and are configured to removably attach to one another at respective opposite free ends 21,23. In the exemplary embodiment, end 23 includes a plurality (e.g. two) of hooks 25 for selectively engaging with a corresponding plurality of eyes or loops 27 arranged on end 21 of back band 20 in a conventional manner.
FIG. 2 provides a more detailed view of an exemplary back band “hook and eye” fastening arrangement, such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown, a plurality of rows of eyes 27 may be arranged at varying distances along a longitudinal direction of end 21 of band 20. Eyes 27 are configured to selectably engage with hooks 25 arranged on end 23 of band 22. In this way, a range of adjustment of the overall band length, and thus the overall girth of an undergarment, is realized. In the illustrated embodiment, this range of adjustment consists of a smallest girth setting A, and a largest girth setting B, as well as two intermediate girth settings, for providing a total range of adjustment Z.
While the range of girth adjustment provided by the above-described arrangement may be sufficient for a wearer, any number of factors may contribute to the need for an expanded adjustment range. For example, weight loss or weight gain, and/or the stretching or shrinking of material, may lead to a garment which does not, or no longer, provides ideal fitment. In these instances, a wearer is faced with having to purchase another undergarment of a more suitable size, or find a solution to alter its girth beyond the original adjustment range (Z).
Alternative systems for quickly and economically expanding the adjustment range of these types of garments would be advantageous.